The results are in for the City of Cambridge’s fifth Participatory Budget (PB) Process. Over 6,849 Cambridge residents age 12 and older voted to decide how to spend $900,000 on capital projects to improve the community – the most votes yet in a PB process in Cambridge.

The Central Square Public Toilet, a winning project from the City's inaugural Participatory Budgeting process, officially opened for business in January 2018. The steel "Portland Loo" toilet is located on Western Avenue near the intersection with Massachusetts Avenue. The toilet is free, accessible, and open 24/7 to the public.

6,778 Cambridge residents age 12+ voted between December 2-8, 2017. This is a 43% increase over the previous year! Many thanks to our Outreach Committee, Budget Delegates, and other volunteers who worked hard to spread the word.

The Portland Loo structure for the PB Central Square public toilet was installed on Western Avenue near the intersection with Mass. Avenue on October 25, 2017! Public Works needs to complete utility work before the toilet becomes operational, but this is a major milestone for this $320,000 PB1 project. See pictures below and check it out next time you're in Central Square!

Last night, about 25 Budget Delegates attended a "speed consulting" session with City staff in the Sullivan Chamber at City Hall.

Representatives from the following departments/programs met with Delegates and offered insight into City planning processes to help Delegates with their research: Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Community Development, Conservation Commission, Electrical, Human Services, Library, Open Data, Public Works, Recreation, and Traffic, Parking & Transportation.

As our current Budget Delegates are researching the 608 ideas that were submitted during the fourth PB cycle, winning projects from past PB cycles are popping up around Cambridge.

Last month, Public Works completed installation of the five water bottle fill stations from PB2 in Donnelly Field, Greene Rose Heritage Park, Hoyt Field, Russell Field, and St. Peters Field in Danehy Park. Final locations for the four additional bottle fill stations that won in PB3 have not yet been confirmed.

Community Development recently installed the final bike repair station from PB1. You can find the eight PB bike repair stations at Alewife Linear Park (Russell Field), Central Square (near the post office), Danehy Park, Inman Square, Harvard Square (Gen. MacArthur Square), North Point (Education Circle), Porter Square shopping center, and Riverside City Park. Click here to see these locations on a map.

On Tuesday, August 8, the 2017 cadre of volunteer Budget Delegates convened at the Citywide Senior Center for Budget Delegate Orientation.

As always, we have an awesome group of volunteers! Their job over the next few months is to research all 608 ideas submitted by community members in June and July and distill and develop them into the final 20 proposals for the PB ballot in December.

In December 2015, a project to separate bike lanes from traffic won $50,000 in FY17 capital funding during the second Participatory Budgeting vote in Cambridge. The goal of the project is to minimize conflicts between bicycles and vehicles and improve safety.

Installation of separated bicycle lanes on Brattle Street (two-way lane from Eliot Street to Mason Street) and Massachusetts Avenue (one-way lane from Trowbridge Street to Quincy Street) began on July 10, 2017 - see below!

The Participatory Budgeting (PB) Outreach Committee had its second meeting at City Hall on Tuesday, June 6th. Committee members shared how important PB is to the community, noting that it is about more than just the money; it is about civic engagement and giving everyone in Cambridge the opportunity to use their voice to say how their city can be improved.

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